1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the general field of molten baths for the disassociation of material containing carbon, and preferably hydrogen as well, generally classified in U.S. Patent Office, Class/Subclass: 60/39.12, 48/195, and 23/230A.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,672 and 4,244,180 to Rasor teach feeding a mass of carbonaceous fuel; e.g., coal, into a high temperature liquid; e.g., molten iron, at a temperature high enough to carbonize the feed; e.g., near 2850xc2x0 F. (1565xc2x0 C.) and introduces air or other oxygen source into the reactor to react with carbon dissolved in the liquid and uses the hot fuel gas to produce useful energy. At least one baffle is employed to separate the reactor chamber into two distinct zones.
WO 9Z/01492 to Nagel teaches two immiscible zones (layers) of different molten metal temperatures.
Hayes U.S. 4,338,096 teaches methods for controlling the flow of a molten-mass reaction medium into a reaction zone by utilizing a gas-lift effect on the molten medium and apportioning the flow of control gas to the desired flow of molten medium. Hayes is not directed to the introduction of a high velocity stream of soot by combusting a fuel and air mixture plus pitch in a burner to create the high velocity of stream of soot and in which H2O may be added to the high velocity stream impacting the molten metal within a pressure vessel, with the soot being driven downwardly into the molten medium.
Bach U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,714 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,574 do not suggest the plural zones of the present invention with soot feed introduced into one zone by discharge at high velocity from a burner and an oxidizer introduced into a second zone, and with the vapor phases and liquid phases of the two zones being separated by barriers as in the present invention.
Tryer U.S. Pat. No. 1,803,221 teaches production of hydrogen from methane in a two-zone unit, but fails to suggest the utilization of a burner combusting a fuel and air mixture plus pitch and discharge through a restriction or nozzle as a stream of soot penetrating beneath of level of the molten metal within the underlying pressure vessel or reactor.
The present invention is directed to an improved molten metal hydrogen generation bath in which a closed pressure vessel is provided with one or more baffles separating the vessel vapor space near the center of the bath into a burner feed chamber and a generated gas outlet chamber. one or more top mounted burners on the pressure vessel opening into the top of the vessel are provided with an oxidant feed such as O2 or air, fuel gas and pitch, or other low-valued hydrocarbon for recycling, plus H2O. The burner or burners discharge soot under high pressure through a venturi nozzle as a high velocity stream which impinges against the surface of the molten metal bath to drive the soot down into the molten metal. The soot dissolves in the molten metal and the high velocity stream includes CO2 and H2O which dissolves in the metal. Circulation of the molten metal under the baffle(s) into the gas outlet chamber produces H2 and CO2 recoverable for fuel gas or synthetic purposes.